Well drill



y 1932- w. SHELDON 1,856,229

WELL DRILL Filed Aug. 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE TOR 5W May 3, 1932. w. SHELDON 1,856,229

WELL DRILL Filed Aug. 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 INVENTOR L 45 10mm May 3, 1932.

W. SHELDON WELL DRILL Filed Aug. 11, 1928 .57 W 56 40 I HEW 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR.

waldo 5mm Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES WAIJJO SHELDON, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SHELDON MA CHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N.

Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK WELL DRILL Application flledAugust 11, 1928'. Serial No. 298,949.

This invention relates particularly to well methods or wlth pressure feed, and which are quickly converted from one form of operation to the other. In Patents 1333,1534 and hfiSLhOl thepower feed ot the drill is effected by apower cylinder and piston of annular form mounted concentrically below the rotary table and in the latter of these two patents, the power cylinder is withdrawahle up through the-hereof the table. This construction is desirable tromthe standpoint of quick conversion fromone method of drilling to the other. but for the heavier duty drills is ohjectiouable. because of the limitation it places on the outside diameter of the power cylinder, which must he small enough to pass up through the tahle.

pecial objects of the present invention are to so construct the power cylinder that it may he withdrawn from above hut at the san'ie time will not be limited in size and hence in'power. bv the-inside dimensions of the tahle: to enable quick removal and dc tachment of' the power cylinder; to firmly and rigidly brace and support the table and the power cylinder: to provide for the ready removal of both the rotary table and the power cylinder as a single unit: to enable a ll the power connections withthe power cvlinder to'he made up and lorokenconveniently, for instance. on the derrick floor and to'provide a structure of the toregroine charaeteristics. which will be simple, stron n. sturdy and practical, in every'way.

The special novel features otthe invention hv which the tore-"cine and other des rable objects are a tained. are set forth inthe following. specification reference being made to the drawings forming part of the some and H1 which one of the commercial emhodiments of the invention is illustrated.

Fig. 1 is a broken part vertical section and side elevation of the appartus with the power cylinder in operative position: Fin. 2 is a hroken plan view showing: the table structure as it appears with the power unit re- 1,ee1,501 which moved: Fig. 3 is a broken enlarged sectional view of one of the rotary base 'lastenings as on the line 3--3 ot 2; Fig. 4 is a part sectional view showing. the table and power cylinder unit removed from theseat in the frame or base structure: Fig. 5 is a broken part sectional view showing; the table, in its base, set back in the seat in the frame and with adapters for driving a grief stem set into the table for regular rotary drilling opera tions: Fin. 6 is a view of the power cylinder unit as it appears detached from the table base.

In the several. views, the rotary table is desicnated 7 and is shown as having: a long de pendent sleeve 8 with radial bearing engage ment at the upper and lower ends of the same at 9 and 10 in a long; rigidfheariny, sleeve 11.

This hearing; sleeve supports at the top a load carryinrr thrust hearing 12 for the table and upward thrust oi the table is taken care of by a thrust ring; 13 bolted tothe lower end of the table sleeve at 14 and adapted to engage the lower end of the bearing sleeve 11. The upper thrust bearing: ot the table is shown as a ball hearing; and as protectedby an upstandino: flange 15 surrounding the shoulder 16 on which this bearingis seated.

For drilling with pressure teed, the drill pipe is gripped in clam ing means carried by a. drive sleeve 17. which is sliding'ly keyed in the bore of the table as indicated at 18 and is raised and lowered therein by connections from the power cylinder.

For deep drilling and heavy duty operations the power cylinder should he ofas large a diameter as possible,yso as to afford the maximum piston area and to enable the development of sufficient power with a reasonably low fluid pressure. This maximum size of power cylinder is attained in the present invention hy making the cylinder of larger diameter than the table sleeve, in the illustration ofpraetically the same diameter as the bearing sleeve for the table and providiner forthe removal of both the power cylinder and the bearino; sleeve as a single unit. Thus as shown in Fig. 1, the outer wall 19 of the power cylinder is of practically the same diameter as the bearing; sleeve 11 and the flange 20 of this wall is secured to the flange 21 of the bearing sleeve by bolts 22, so that the whole may be lifted out of the base or frame structure as a unit as indicated in Fig. 4. This end flange of the cylinder and the adjoining upper head structure 23 of the cylinder are suitably recessed as indicated at 24 to provide proper clearance for the lower thrust ring 13 and attaching bolts 14 or" the table sleeve.

Operating within the large diameter power cylinder is the annular piston 25 having an annular piston rod or sleeve 26 operating up over the inner annular cylinder wall 27 and carrying upper and lower thrust shoulders 28, 29 located within the drive sleeve 17 and cooperating with the thrust shoulders 30, 31 at the upper and lower ends of said drive sleeve. The inner cylinder wall 27 is shown as carried by the lower annular cylinder head 32 which is indicated as removably secured to the outer cylinder wall by the bolts 33.

Hydraulic pressure or other motive fluid is supplied to and exhausted from the opposite ends of the power cylinder, that is above and below the piston by piping 34, 35, shown as extending up over the outside of the cylinder and bearing sleeve into position be-.

neat-h the head of the table and there provided with lateral extensions 34a and 35a for connection with the valve mechanism controlling admission and exhaust of the fluid. The longitudinal sections of the piping are indicated as having couplings or unions 36, 37, enabling the quick disconnection of the piping when the power cylinder is to be separated from the table structure. These vertical lengths of piping are shown as guided. and received in notches 38 in the flanges of the cylinder and bearing sleeve, and the upper ends of such piping above the couplings are indicated as extending through passages 39 in the upper flange of the bearing sleeve, so that said upper pipe sections may remain connected with and supported by a bearing sleeve when the power cylinder is detached as in Fig. 5. If desired, however, the passages 39 may be open notches,

the same'as 38, so that all piping will remain with the power cylinder when the same is detached from the bearing sleeve, as it is shown in Fig. 6.

To support the long bearing sleeve, rigid and solid, a heavy bed plate 40 is provided in the illustration, secured by bolts 41 over a seating pad 42 on a solid frame made up of longitudinal and transverse I beams 43,

44, and this bed plate is made with a deep seat'or well for the bearing sleeve, the same being shown as having upper and lower spaced flanges 45, 46 to engage corresponding flanges 47, 48 on the bearing sleeve. A

shoulder 49 above the upper flange 47 rests on top of the bed plate, providing with the deep seat construction, a fixed solid mounting for the bearing sleeve.

To enable quick removal of the bearing sleeve, with the table and power cylinder, four bolts 50 are provided in the illustration extending up through slots 51 in the bed plate and slots 52 in the outstanding lugs or ears'53 at the upper end of the bearing sleeve, the heads 54 at the lower ends of these bolts being disposed below the bed plate and guid ed against turning by webs 55 and the nuts 56 on the upper ends of the bolts being accessibly located beneath the head of the table. Washers 57 are shown beneath these nuts and the same are indicated as seating in recesses 58 in the lugs, to hold these bolts against slipping back out of position in case they should become loosened.

As shown in Fig. 4, the seat of the bed plate provides a .passage which is large enough to pass the largest size bit and casing which may be used with the machine and allows for the use of a large diameter power cylinder and hence lower operating pressure than can be used for the same power with a smaller area cylinder and piston. To remove the table and entire power structure, it is simply necessary to loosen the four bolts 50 and drop them back in their slots, whereupon by means of suitable tackle the table, bearing sleeve and power cylinder may be lifted up out of the seat in the base. If desired, the power cylinder may be utilized to break the bearing cylinder out of its deep seat in the base by attaching the drive sleeve to a suitable support and then applying pressure above the piston while the piston is in a projected position, to give the cylinder an upward kick. hen the unitary table and power structure is removed, as in Fig. 4 from the seat in the base, the same may be dropped back in the derrick floor, suitable feet 61 provided on the lower cylinder head then supporting the power cylinder without injury to the lower cylinder head bolts. The bearing sleeve and table may then be uncoupled from the power cylinder by releasing bolts 22, whereupon the table and its bearing may be lifted clear of the power cylinder, leaving the latter with the drive sleeve as appears in Fig. 6 and be then replaced in the seat in the bed as in Fig. 5. In'the latter situation, the table may be equipped with suitable adapters and slips as indicated at 61 for driving a grief stem or the like, according to ordinary rotary methods. The return to to serve in the nature of skids or sled runmore when the machine is to be shifted from place to place and the quick reversible bolt tl'astenings are of special advantage in the latter situation, enabling quick release of the table structure, so that the same may be lifted either clear out of the bed or far enough so that the depending portions will not hang be low the runners of the frame.

In addition to gaining greater piston area with an equal of table passage, it will be evident that the inventi on our-blesthe increasing of the size o1? this bore, to pass lar or tools or for other iurposes, and ill tain a larger or as large a pressure surface in prior applications where the power cyl inder must be small enough to pass up through the bore of the table.

The integral upstz'indinn flange of the bearing sleeve forms a cmnplete enclosure about the load carrying bearing 19; of the table protecting the same against grit, etc, and forn'ling a mechanical barrier prevent ing the heavy wrcnrl'ies, which may be used in setting up or releasiuq the nuts 56 ot the hold down bolts from injuring the bearing. lnibricators 59, (it), are shown entered through this flange for suppl neces. lubricant to the thrust bearing 12 and bearing 9 so that both bearings may be lrcpt well supplied with lubricant, this arrangement permitting lubrication to be effected while the machine is running. The fully accessible relation of the securing bolts about the bearing surrounding flange and beneath the rim of the table is a great advantage enabling the table and its supporting; and power structure to be quickly T818215 l from the base and to be again fastened rigidly 3 place just as easily. The bearing; sleeve 1 will be noted has an extended, substantial engagement in the su; porti1u a A d &6, and so ispositively and r lly positioned and held in the heavy base structure.

cit'tt-uiding of the power connections up ove the outside of the power cylinder and the bearing sleeve into position beneath the table and substantially on a level with the derrclr l'loor is of special advantage in that the water or other power connections may be made or broken conveniently while working on the derrick floor. ln practise, flexible hose may be used as the connecting means on the derrick floor substantially as indicated at 3-H) and an in :2.

"With such connections, it is possible to lift the table and power cylinder out of the seat without disconnecting any of the piping.

The deep seat l5, l6 in the base structure forms a libwl which when the table removed as in Fig. 4 may receive a special :u'laptcr or bushing tor slips to handle larsro Hirer-using, which can not be passed do u througg'l'i the rotary table. This enables a machine having a relatively small sized rothc rad a t tary table tohandle the larger sizes of casingwhich the machine may be called upon to operate with.

What is claimedis:

1. A well drill, comprisii'ig a bed plate having a large diameter deep seat, a long bearing sleeve detachably mounted in relatively fixed relation in said deep seat, a rotary table ournalled in said long bearing sleeve, an annular power cylinder of larger external diameter than the bore of said rotary table but less thanthe diameter of said deep seat and disposed beneath said bearing sleeve, a drive sleeve slidingly keyed in the table and an annular piston operating in the annular power cylinder and having a power applying connection with the drive sleeve.

2. A construction as'in claim 1., with quickly releasable means for detachably securing the long bearing sleeve in the deep seat of the bedplate.

3. A construction as in claim 1, in which the lower end of the bearing sleeve and the upper end of the power cylinder have abutting flanges, and bolts areprovidcd in exposed readily accessible relation about the peripheral portion of the bearing sleeve for detachably securing said flanges together.

4. A construction as in claim 1, with fluid pressure connect-ions for the power cylinder extending up the power cylinder and bearing sleeve through the deep seat in the bed plate.

5. A construction as in claim 1, with power sup-plying piping extending from the cylindcr up alongside the bearing sleeve and through the deep seat in the bed plate into exposed relation above the bed plate.

6. A construction as in claim 1, with quickly releasable bolt fastenings between the bed plate and bearing sleeve and operating in slots permitting shiftingof the same from holding to released positions.

7. A well drill, comprising a base having a seat, a table bearing detachably engaged in said seat, said base and bearing having slotted bolt receiving parts, bolts shittable in said slotted parts for detachably securing the bearing to the base, a table journalled in said bearing and an annular power cylinder supported by said bearing, said power cylinder being of greater outside diameter than the bore of the table, but less than the diameter of the seat, so as to be removable through the seat with said bearing and table.

8. A well drill, comprising a base having a seat, a bearing detachably mounted insaid seat, bolts for fastening said bearing in said seat and having a radial clearing movement to quickly release thcmlrom holding relation to the bearing, a rotary table journalled in the bearing, a drive sleeve slidingly keyedin said table and a power cylinder detachably connected with the lower end of the bearing and having a piston provided with a power applying connection with the drive sleeve.

9. A well drill comprising a base having a seat, a bearing detachably mounted in said seat, bolts for fastening said bearing in said seat and having a radial clearing movement to quickly release them from holding relation to the bearing, a rotary table journalled in the bearing, a drive sleeve slidingly keyed in said table, a power cylinder detachably connected with the lower end of the bearing and having a piston provided with a power applying connection with the drive sleeve, said power cylinder being approximately equal to the outside diameter of the bearing to provide the maximum pressure surface of cylinder removable through the seat.

10. A well drill, comprising a base having a deep seat with bearing surfaces at the top and bottom of the same and external webs extending from the upper to the lower bearing surface portions, said base having slots alongside said webs, a table bearing in said seat and engaged with the bearing surfaces thereof, a rotary table journalled in said table bearing and bolts for detachably securing said table bearing in the seat in the base and having head portions guided and held against rotation by the webs aforesaid.

11. In rotary well drills, aheavy table base having a large diameter deep seat, a long bearing sleeve removably mounted in said deep seat and guided and supported at the upper and lower ends of said deep seat, a rotary table having a long sleeve ournalled in said removable long bearing sleeve and readily releasable fastenings for removably securing the bearing sleeve in said deep seat of the base, said fastenings being freely accessible about the table whereby to enable the ready removal of the table with its long bearing from the large diameter deep seat in the base.

12. A construction as in claim 11, in which the readily releasable fastenings for the table bearing sleeve comprise bolts and in which the table base and the bearing sleeve are slotted to take said boltssufficiently to enable the bolts being readily shifted from a holding to a non holding position.

13. A construction as in. claim 11, with a power cylinder attached to the removable bearing sleeve, of larger size than the table sleeve but of less overall diameter than the deep seatso as to be removable with the bearing sleeve up through the seat, a drill pipe driving sleeve mounted in the table sleeve and a piston in the power cylinder and having a raising and lowering connection with the drive sleeve.

14. A rotary well drill, comprising a heavy table base having an open seat therethrough of large diameter to pass the largest sizes of drill bits and easing which said rotary is capable of handling, a rigid bearing sleeve having a substantial and fixedly positioned engagement in said seat but readily removable from the seat, a rotary table having a rigid sleeve journalled in said removable long bearing sleeve and readily releasable fastenings accessibly located about the rim of the table for detachably securing the bearing sleeve in its seat and whereby said bearing sleeve may be quickly unfastened from the table base without disturbing other parts and be lifted with the table out of the seat in the base.

15. A rotary well drill, comprising a heavy table base having an open seat therethrough of large diameter to pass the largest sizes of drill bits and easing which said rotary is capable of handling, a rigid bearing sleeve having a substantial and fixedly positioned engagement in said seat but readily removable from the seat, a rotary table having a rigid sleeve journalled in said removable long bearing sleeve and readily releasable fastenings aceessibly located about the rim of the table for detachably securing the bearing sleeve in its seat, whereby said bearing sleeve may be quickly unfastened from the table base without disturbing other parts and be lifted with the table out of the seat in the base, said fastenings consisting of bolts, coupling portions of the bearing sleeve and table base and one of said portions being slotted to receive the bolts and to facilitate quick shifting'of the bolts from the holding to the non-holding positions.

16. A rotary well drill, comprising a heavy table base having an open seat therethrough of large diameter to pass the largest sizes of drill bits and easing which said rotary is capable of handling, a rigid bearing sleeve having a substantial and fixedly positioned engagement in said seat but readily removable from the seat, a rotary table having a rigid sleeve j ournalled in said removable long bearing sleeve and readily releasable fastenings accessibly located about the rim of the table for detachably securing the bearing sleeve in its seat, whereby said bearing sleeve may be quickly unfastened from the table base without disturbing other parts and be lifted with the table out of the seat in the base, a table load carrying bearing on the upper end of the bearing sleeve, beneath the table. an integral flange on the upper end of the bearing sleeve surrounding said bearing and extending up to the table. the readily releasable fastenings being located outside said bearing surrounding flange, beneath the rimof the table.

17. A rotary well drill, comprising a heavy table base having, an open seat therethrough of large diameter to pass the largest sizes of drill bits and easing which said rotary is capable of handling, a rigid bearing sleeve having a substantial and fixedly positioned engagement in said seat but readily removable from the seat, a rotary table having a rigid sleeve journalled in sa d removable long bearing sleeve and read1ly releasable itastenings accessibly located about the run of the table for detachably securing the bearing sleeve in its seat, whereby said bearing sleeve may be quickly unfastened from the table base without disturbing other parts and be lifted with the table out of the seat in the base, a thrust bearing on the upper end of the bearing sleeve for supporting the table, said bearing sleeve having a radial bearing for the table sleeve at its upper end, a flange carried by the bearing sleeve and extending upwardly around the thrust bearing, the tastenings for the bearing sleeve being arranged outside said bearing surrounding flange and lubricating means for the thrust bearing and radial bearing carried by said surrounding flange.

18. In well drilling apparatus, a table base, a rotary table and power cylinder seated in and removable as a unit from said base, adrill stem driving sleeve mounted in the table, operating connections from the power cylinder for raising and lowering said drill stem driving sleeve in the table, power transmitting pipe connections for he power cylinder extending from said cylinder up through the base and removable with the table and power cylinder unit and flexible hose pipe connections to s id power transmitting connections.

19. in well drilling apparatus, atable base, a rotary table and power cylinder removably seated in said base, a drill stem driving sleeve mounted in the table, operating connections from the power cylinder for raising and lowering said drill stem driving sleeve in the table, power transmitting pipe connections for the power cylinder extending from the power cylinder and partly carried by the removable table structure and removable with the table and power cylinder, means for detachably connecting the power cylinder and removable table structure and releasable coupling means in the power transmission pipe connections for enabling detachment of the power cylinder and table structure.

20. In well drilling apparatus, a table base, a rotary table and power cylinder removably seated in said base, a drill stem driving sleeve mounted in the table, operating connections from the power cylinder for raising and low ering said drill stem driving sleeve in the table, power transmitting connections for the power cylinder removable with the table and power cylinder, the removable structure oi the table including a bearing sleeve for the table, the power cylinder being detachably connected with said bearing sleeve, the power transmitting connections extending from the power cylinder up along the bearing sleeve to a position beneath the table.

21. In well drilling apparatus, the combination of a heavy base plate providing a supporting foundation and having a large diameter opening for passage of the largest bearing sleeve and removable from the base plateas a unit with said bearing sleeve, an annular power cylinder of larger diameter thanthe bore of the rotary table, but of less diameter than the opening in the base plate, said power cylinder being detachably con nected with the lower end of the bearing sleeve and removable from the base plate as a unit with said bearing sleeve and rotary table, a drive sleeve operating in the table and an annular piston operating in the annular power cylinder and having a power driving connection with the drive sleeve andwhereby therotary table and power cylinder combination may be removed from the base plate as a unit and the power mechanism be detached from the table structure and the latter be returned to the base plate for use asan ordt nary rotary.

22. In well drilling apparatus,the combination of a heavy base plate providing a supporting foundation and having a large diameter opening for passage of the largest size drill tools and to accommodate special adapters and slips for extra size Well casing and the like, a long bearing sleeve set in said large diameter opening and supported by said base plate, readily releasable means for detachablysecuring said bearing sleeve to the base plate, a rotary table ournalled in the bearing sleeve and removable from the base plate as a unit with said bearing sleeve, an annular power cylinder of larger diameter than the bore of the rotary table, but of less diameter than the opening in the, base plate, said power cylinder being detachably connected with the lower endof the bearing sleeve and removable from the base plate as a unit with said bearing sleeve and rotary. table, a drive sleeve operating in the table and an annular piston operating in the annular power cylinder and having a power driving connection with the drive sleeve, whereby the rotary table and power cylinder combination may be removed from the base plate as a unit and the power mechanism be detached from the table structure and the latter be returned to the base plate for use as an ordinary rotary, power fluid connections extending from the power cylinder up the bearing sleeve and through the opening in the base plate into position above the base plate, so that connections for power fluid may be made with the power cylinder above the base plate and the power fluid connections carried by the power cylinder and bearing sleeve being disposed within the diameter of the opening in the base plate, so as to constitute part of the removable unit aforesaid. 5 23. In well drilling apparatus, the combination of a heavy base plate providing a supporting foundation and having a large diameter opening for passage of the largest size drill tools and to accommodate special adapt 10 ers and slips for extra size well casing and the like, a long bearing sleeve set in said large diameter opening and supported by said base plate, readily releasable means for detachably securing said bearing sleeve to the base plate, a rotary table ournalled in the bearing sleeve and removable from the base plate as a unit with said bearing sleeve, an annular power cylinder of larger diameter than the bore of the rotary table, but of less diameter than the opening in the base plate, said power cylinder being cletachably connected with the lower end of the bearing sleeve and removable from the base plate as a unit with said bearing sleeve and rotary table, a drive sleeve operating in the table and an annular piston operating in the annular power cylinder and having a power driving connection with the drive sleeve, whereby the rotary table and power cylinder combination may be removed from the base plate as a unit and the power mechanism be detached from the table structure and the latter be returned to the base plate for use as an ordinary rotary, power fluid connections extending from the power cylinder up the bearing sleeve and through the opening in the base plate into position above the base plate, so that the connections for power fluid may be made with the power cylinder above the base plate and the power fluid connections carried by the power cylinder and bearing sleeve being disposed within the diameter of the opening in the base plate, so as to constitute part of the removable unit aforesaid and the power fluid connections including coupling means enabling ready separation of said connections when the power cylinder is disconnected from the bearing sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WALDO SHELDON. 

